How about them Canucks!
- Thread starter #juan
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Elite refers to being in a group of best players. If someone thinks they're soft and non-performing 'sisters" then they certainly don't consider them elite. But you play all the semantics you want.
I consider Ovechkin, Thornton, Marleau, Semin, Spezza, Kopitar, Gaborik and the sisters, "elite" players. Given a choice I wouldn't want any of them on my team come April. People like St Louis, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Crosby, Toews or even Ryan Smyth always seem so show up come crunch time. It's not semantics. The first group entertain in the regular season just like the second group but the second group wins in the playoffs where it matters and their teams win because of their play not in spite of their play.
IMO the LA broadcast was terrible-the video feed anaemic, the play by play pedestrian and the commentary by Cassie Campbell dreadful-that woman redefines the term airhead.
I think you're the one playing semantics. Apparently, your definition of 'elite' means that players move into and out of the elite class daily, depending on how they play.
Regular season does matter. It what gets you into the playoffs. You've got that playoff guy Byfugluen (or whatever his name is) on the Jets, but he has to get there first. He didn't do much in playoffs last year, did he? Pretty easy to see why.
Getting to game 7 of the finals was in part due to having home ice advantage for the entire playoffs. It was one game for all the marbles. Anyone can win a one game series with the right breaks.
I don't think the difference between reg. season hockey and playoff hockey is as much as some people think, any team can peak or ebb at any time for very little apparent reason, maybe as something as trivial as a puck taking a strange bounce off the boards. The play is more intense and you have repetition with the same opponents and perhaps a little more travel but it's still hockey with the same rules. I haven't checked the statistics but I'd say the GENERAL trend is for the best teams in the reg. season tend to go further in the playoffs (of course there's exceptions so I don't want one or two of them rammed down my throat) :lol:
The Wings were a walking hospital ward last year. They would have won the west last year had they been healthy. You can't judge any player or team based on one year.
The Sedins have played some good playoff hockey. They carried the team into the playoffs and beat the Stars a few years back. Unforunately the Klatts and all others did nothing. The team had soley relied on the Sedins and a couple of ok throw ins for years. Now that the team is improving (still room for more improvement) they are naturally having more success.
You can't compare a lot of these guys because the teams they are on have been quite different. I doubt Datsuk would've had the same playoff success over the years playing for historically bottom dwelling organizations.
yes, I remember trent klatt playing with the sedins as their 'other' winger, didn't last long, but
he gave a valient effort with much lesser skills, as they were trying to find that 'right hand' shot
to play on the other side.
and remember the other winger who scored so many goals playing with the twins, then demanded a
huge raise in pay the next year, and left in a huff, and his quick improvement in his career instantly
dropped off and he faided away, never to be seen again, Anson Carter.
hank and danny have risen from a couple of, 'just' out of their teens youngsters to become great players, very
classy players, very intelligent players, and we are all very fortunate to have followed their careers
all this time becuase the level they are at now is amazing and I didn't ever dream the canucks would
ever have such valued players, as we had existed so many years with a so so team, a few players who were
canuck stars, but none as talented as hank and danny.
the twins have taught us, and many players how to play the game at a very high level, without going over the
top emotionally, patience like I've not seen before, and the way they do not react to intimidation could
teach many players how to carry themselves with skill and results, and remain quiet and tough.
who knows if canucks will win a stanley cup, and its too bad so much emphasis is put on that one single
accomplishment, however important, the complete lifespan of a player (s) is what is important and memorable and how the
team plays throughout each season, and how far a team can go into the playoff season.
only one team can win the stanley cup, then they all turn their heads and look
forward to 'next' season, long seasons, a battle from game one till the end of
the season, I love it.
no one coming into this hockey thread, from somewhere else, will ever realize what we know about the twins, and no amount
of 'put down' has any effect on facts, those words are just that, words without any thought, and just said
to try to hurt, but the only hurt remains with the poster, hasn't any effect on any of us, and further
tells us who is out there, and how shallow many can be.
you know, when the players are interviewed about each other, the statements made by them are so genuine and
accurate and respectful that it warms my heart to listen, as they know how hard it was to get where they
are, and even though they compete very hard against each other, they always remain very aware of how good
they all are, and don't hesitate to complement opposition players any time.
of course there are one or two who say different things, but there are exceptions in all walks of life, and
exceptions don't tell the story.
How all of these players perform so often at such a high level, and give out so much of themselves, get
cut, punched, tripped, hooked, slew footed, high sticked, and on and on I will never know.
Last season canucks had so many injuries, and it wasn't till near the end of the regular season that all of the
defensemen played a game together, without one or two of them injured, and that didn't last long as
dan hamhuis went out of the playoffs injured, kesler played injured from the nashville series on, two
players very important to the team, leaving the second line limping around, then mason raymond was
scrunched against the boards, injured for the remainder of the playoffs, manny malholtra tried playing
again, but the injury to his eye was devastating, and he is still not himself after all these months.
It was mentioned, more than once by HNIC, how amazing it was that the canucks remained
atop the league, almost all season, then won the presidents' cup, while playing
with so many injuries all year, just shows the depth of the team, and how good
the players in the AHL were, as were brought up and down so many times.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this season, the team has battled back from dissapointment, and they are playing
great hockey, along with many other teams, and the NHL is fun to watch, and I know we will be in the
playoffs, and I wish them well again, but I will not put up all the marbles to win any cup, but will
enjoy the whole year, however far it goes.
The opposition, especially in playoffs go to great lengths to make sure hank and
danny are shadowed and double teamed all the time, and as I said before, the only
way to overcome that, is to have a second and third line who will score and
show the opposition that our 'top' line, with our best players isn't 'all' the
canucks have, but three more lines to worry about, that is the aim this season,
that is the work gillis has done to have a 'more' complete, four line team, who
can be even deeper than last year.
the series between boston and canucks last season was the play of each goalie,
and tim thomas is bostons key to winning, and he stood tall and played great,
and that is why they won, it had nothing to do with dirty play, or heavy play
or intimidation, and its too bad many can't see that, it is so simple.
OK, san jose comes into rogers arena tomorrow, and they get madder with every
loss to the canucks, so tomorrow will be a battle royal, as they want to defeat
canucks more than anything else they do right now, and I expect a highly emotionally
charged game, exciting to watch, and may the right team win.
GO CANUCKS GO
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He may not have the team success but I'm quite sure he would play well as an individual regardless of what team he was on. Don't confuse the two.
OK, san jose comes into rogers arena tomorrow, and they get madder with every
loss to the canucks, so tomorrow will be a battle royal, as they want to defeat
canucks more than anything else they do right now, and I expect a highly emotionally
charged game, exciting to watch, and may the right team win.
GO CANUCKS GO[/QUOTE]
todays game with san jose is at 5:00 p.m.
loss to the canucks, so tomorrow will be a battle royal, as they want to defeat
canucks more than anything else they do right now, and I expect a highly emotionally
charged game, exciting to watch, and may the right team win.
GO CANUCKS GO[/QUOTE]
todays game with san jose is at 5:00 p.m.
the game was not what I thought it would be. I thought san jose would copy l.a. style, and come out
punching and gouging.
It was a rather bland game, and canucks had a poor second period. Maybe shorty was right, as he thought
they might be suffering from a bit of fatigue.
Lots of game of late, and also the road trip, and san jose haven't played since we played them in san jose.
They bounced back a bit in the 3rd, but san jose scored the only goal in the shoot- out to give them a
3-2 shoot out win.
Did any of you see that very childish finger sticking in henrik's face from joe thornton in the last game.
They showed it again this evening, and I haven't ever in all the years I've followed the nhl, seen anything
quite so lame, from a captain, standing beside the other captain, play was dead, and they were suppose to
be talking to the ref.
The ref should have given him a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Henrik was forced to have to keep shoving his fingers away from his face, 3 times.
Thornton looked like a jerk, and each time that clip is played he again looks like a jerk. How old is he?
32 I think, hmmmm, amazing behavior.
I have seen goofy things happen in the frenzy of battle, from many different players on different teams, but
not like this display, long after the whistle had gone, and they were by themselves talking to the ref.
canucks vs minnesota on wednesday, then canucks are off to boston for a saturday morning game, they sure need a few days of down time, but not for a while I guess.
punching and gouging.
It was a rather bland game, and canucks had a poor second period. Maybe shorty was right, as he thought
they might be suffering from a bit of fatigue.
Lots of game of late, and also the road trip, and san jose haven't played since we played them in san jose.
They bounced back a bit in the 3rd, but san jose scored the only goal in the shoot- out to give them a
3-2 shoot out win.
Did any of you see that very childish finger sticking in henrik's face from joe thornton in the last game.
They showed it again this evening, and I haven't ever in all the years I've followed the nhl, seen anything
quite so lame, from a captain, standing beside the other captain, play was dead, and they were suppose to
be talking to the ref.
The ref should have given him a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Henrik was forced to have to keep shoving his fingers away from his face, 3 times.
Thornton looked like a jerk, and each time that clip is played he again looks like a jerk. How old is he?
32 I think, hmmmm, amazing behavior.
I have seen goofy things happen in the frenzy of battle, from many different players on different teams, but
not like this display, long after the whistle had gone, and they were by themselves talking to the ref.
canucks vs minnesota on wednesday, then canucks are off to boston for a saturday morning game, they sure need a few days of down time, but not for a while I guess.
Thorton may have seen better days-he gave the puck away three times tonight and didn't look to be in the game at all.
Yes it sounded bland-I lost my video feed but from the audio it sounded like I didn't miss much.
Yes it sounded bland-I lost my video feed but from the audio it sounded like I didn't miss much.